light is only a borrowed light, it is true; but what a solemn splendour is poured through the darkness by her rays! The tides wait upon her bidding, and ebb and flow as she draws them to herself, or drives them from her. The traveller longs for her brightness, and the mariner is cheered by the shimmer of her beams upon the sea. The poet looks upon her as a type of all that is fair and beautiful, and writes his sweetest songs to celebrate her loveliness. The philosopher delights to study her movements, and

strives to penetrate the secrets of her sphere. The little child learns to regard her almost as a friend, and the whitehaired father associates her with half the enjoyments of his bygone life. Is then this moon to be lightly prized because she only reigns at night, while her brother orb bears rule over the day?"

After a time the children learned the hidden lesson, and found that even in their sphere it was possible to do much unnoticed good.

H. B.

A BROKEN SABBATH,

"WILL you go for a sail in the yacht this morning, sir?" said a bluff but honest-looking boatman one Sunday to a young man who was walking quickly along the beach of a well-known watering place, wending his way to a Sabbathschool established for the religious instruction of the sons of sailors and boatmen, of which he was a teacher. "We sail at 11 o'clock, sir; will you go?" "No, certainly not to-day, thank you," was the reply.

"You couldn't have a better day, sir."

"Well," said the person addressed, "I was thinking I could not have a worse one."

"Why, sir, what would you have? It is a nice sunny day, and the sea is beautifully calm."

"Not only do I know that it is a nice sunny day," said the teacher, "but I also know that it is Sunday, and therefore not my day, but God's; and as He has given me six other days on which to seek my own pleasure, don't you think I should be doing very wrong to rob God of His day?"

"Ah!" said the sailor, "I see you're one of them 'ere parsons who don't know what it is to have to work for their living. Well, every one to his own way of thinking, that's all I say;" and he was walking away, when the teacher calling him back said, "You have asked me to go with you and break the sab

AND ITS RESULTS.

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bath, and I have refused; now will you come with me and keep it, by going to a place of worship? I shall return at half-past ten o'clock; and if you will join me I will find you a seat." No, thankee," said the boatman; "I should be a fool to go to hear another sermon, and may be a longer one than yours, and lose my morning's wage. Why, sir, on a fine Sunday we reckon to make more money than on any other day in the week."

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"Well," said the teacher, whom we will call Mr. Lee, "I must leave you now; but I will be here at half-past ten o'clock, and see if you have changed your mind. I shall be greatly pleased if you will accompany me to church."

Mr. Lee hastened his steps to the school, where he found his class already assembled and awaiting him. It was very natural that, after the incident which had occurred to him, he should warn his scholars against sabbath-breaking, and his words were spoken with much earnestness of manner. In the course of his remarks he said, "I dare say, my little friends, some of you have at one time or another gone out with a pleasure-party on the Lord's day; now have you not found that you did not enjoy your trip so much as you anticipated? has not something occurred or presented itself which tended to spoil your happiness?"

At these words several of the scholars seemed somewhat puzzled, and evidently unable to reply. "Ah," said Mr. Lee,

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your silence tells me such was the case.'

Shortly afterwards he concluded his address, remarking, "Depend upon it, dear young friends, you can never be really happy if you are sinning against God." Mr. Lee dismissed his class, and returned to the beach; but he did not see the sailor: so he waited a few minutes, when on turning round he saw the boatman coming out of a house with some noisy companions. Going up to him, he asked him if he were now willing to go with him to a place of worship, but only met with a scornful reply.

Mr. Lee very reluctantly therefore went alone. Service over, he again walked down to the beach. The wind had risen a good deal during the last two hours. The yacht had sailed, and the sailor in it; but the sea, which had hitherto been so calm, was now becoming very rough. When Mr. Lee went to the school in the afternoon the yacht had not returned, although it had been expected for some time; and the sailors on the beach were talking together in groups and watching with evident anxiety, for the sea now looked one wild, surging mass of foam and spray. An hour afterwards something was observed floating on the waves some distance from the beach. Boats put out to see what it was; but they could not get near enough: consequently the curious had no alternative but to wait and see whether it might be washed ashore by the tide. This shortly happened, when the object was found to be part of the mast of the ill-fated yacht.

A painful scene followed. The news seemed to spread like wildfire that the boat had met with a mishap; and the beach was soon lined with anxious inquirers.

Two of the boys in Mr. Lee's class had relatives in the boat; and upon the sad tidings reaching the school, which was shortly the case, it was found of no use keeping it open any longer, as all the thoughts of the young people were away at sea. The superintendent therefore concluded at once with prayer, not forgetting to commend the poor sailors and passengers to the care of Him whose will the mighty winds and waves

obey, and without whose knowledge not a sparrow falleth to the ground.

The whole school, teachers and scholars, soon joined the crowd on the beach, in time to see the lifeboats fitted out and starting for the direction in which the piece of rigging was first obscried.

After an hour of wearying and anxious suspense a small speck was deserved some distance out at sea, then another and another. They get larger; they must be the boats returning. They draw nearer, and are distinguished to be filled with people. The wives and children of the sailors hardly seemed to know whether to laugh or cry, and a good many did both. In a few minutes more the passengers had landed. One of Mr. Lee's scholars was standing by his side during the tedious watch on the beach; but, as soon as it was over, and the boats had discharged their living freights, he rushed into the arms of a man whom the teacher instantly recognised as his sailor friend of the morning. At the request of the latter Mr. Lee accompanied him home. The conversation turned upon the recent accident, and after a while the sailor said, "And so you are Mr. Lee, whom this little fellow of mine has talked so much about. Why, sir, do you know he said last Sunday that, though he had been in your class only three weeks, he would not stay away from school for a great deal? He is too small to be of much service to me, so I let him go. But I've learnt a severe lesson, sir, from this sad trial: would that I had taken your advice! However, if I am spared till another sabbath, with God's help I'll try and keep it."

It is needless to say the boatman has kept his word, although the heavy loss of his yacht tempted him sorely to work on the seventh day to obtain another. But he soon found he was very little poorer for working six days only; for, notwithstanding that he could earn a good deal on the Sunday, he spent yet more in idle indulgence with intemperate companions. These he has given up, and acknowledges himself a happier and a better man.

lilies.) Those here spoken of were large and lovely flowers, growing in Palestine, the land you know where Jesus walked and taught. Although our Saviour spoke only of this particular flower, we may gather the same lessons from many others; and so I want you to think of flowers generally, and try to learn the beautiful truths they teach.

What reasons does Christ give why we should consider the lilies? First, because they teach us God's bountiful love and care. Can any of you tell me the meaning of the word "bountiful"? It means liberal, giving a great deal, more than enough. God has been very kind in giving beautiful colours, curious and wonderfully shaped leaves, and sweet smells to numberless flowers, so showing the care He has taken to try and make mankind happy. A beautiful poem that I have read begins thus

"God might have made this earth of ours Without a flower at all."

And this is very true. He might only have given us what was necessary to sustain life, and not afforded us many things pleasant and delicious, which we could do without. But He has thought otherwise, and when we remember all His goodness and loving-kindness, should it not draw forth our love in return? yet there are many who enjoy His gifts, and walk every day on this beautiful earth, and never thank Him, and, what is worse, often rebel against His just and holy commands. In future, dear children, let the sight of a lovely flower lead you to say, "God loves and cares for me, and shall I not serve Him?" Repeat the text again.

The second reason Christ gives why we are to "consider the lilies" is, because they show us the folly of being vain or proud. This is a great temptation to some young people, especially if they happen to have on a new bonnet or coat. You know what good Dr. Watts says in his hymn on this subject

"How proud we are, how fond to show Our clothes, and call them rich and new, When the poor sheep and silkworm wore That very clothing long before."

A neat dress and a humble loving

spirit are far before the gorgeous robes and the vain pride of the mightiest monarch that ever lived.

What great king is mentioned in our text?-(Solomon.) Yes; one of the richest and wisest kings that ever lived; and yet, with all his grandeur, he was not arrayed like one of the lilies. Our Lord, in referring to him, teaches us that only those who serve God with humble and lowly minds can be truly happy. Refer to Eccles. i. 2; ii. 11.

Never, dear children, envy those who seem to have greater advantages than yourselves it will matter little after death whether you have lived in a cottage or in a palace, worn a stuff or silk garment; but it will be of immense consequence whether your soul has been clothed in the robe of Christ's righteousness, or clad only with the fading garment of this world's glory.

What lessons have we gathered from this text about flowers?

(1) That our Saviour advises us to consider, or reflect about, the beautiful flowers growing around us, in order to learn something (which indeed we should try to do from everything).

(2) That thoughtfulness in young people is a good habit to cultivate.

(3) That the lilies show how much God cares for and loves us, or He would not have clothed the earth with such beauty.

(4) That pride and vain show in dress or anything else are foolishness.

(5) That the pleasure we gain from riches or high position is poor indeed if our hearts are not right with God.

I hope each of you little ones from this time forth will never look at a flower with indifference. Will each of you aim to be modest as the violet, pure as the snowdrop, sweet in disposition as the rose is in fragrance, and lovely altogether as the lily? Many of you know these flowers to which I refer; and if you do not, you must ask your parents or companions to show them to you.

Above all, think who it was that said, "Consider the lilies." E. A. L.

FLEETING GOODNESS.

"Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth away."-Hos. vi. 4.

Now, little ones, the verse I have chosen for us to talk about to-day is from a book which you perhaps don't know very much about,-the book of the prophet Hosea.

You know that prophets were holy men of old, who foretold things to come to the children of Israel; and they wrote down a great deal of what they prophesied, and their words are contained in the Holy Bible.

Hosea was one of the prophets, and he wrote for the children of Israel, and reproved them when they forgot God and worshipped idols. He spoke to them very kindly of their sins, and of how they had offended God; and he begged of them to return to Him. In the

sixth chapter he says, "Come and let us return to the Lord." And then sometimes they used to do better for a while; but they soon returned to their old evil ways. So he says to them, "Your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth away."

Now all these things were written for our learning; so let us try to draw some lesson from the words before us.

You know how, in autumn mornings, the dew lies so heavy on the grass that

if

you walk on it for ever such a little way you get your feet quite wet. And then when the sun breaks from behind the clouds, and comes forth in his might, the dew soon vanishes away and the grass gets quite dry.

Now does not that remind you of yourselves sometimes? Perhaps the other day you got in a dreadful passion, or perhaps you acted in direct disobedience to your parents' wishes; or perhaps you sometimes learn your lessons very badly. When your father or mother or teacher reproved you, you thought how naughty you had been, and you made up your mind that really you would not do so again. Perhaps you were very sorry for an hour or two, or even for the whole day; but the next day, with the first temptation, away went

all your good resolutions, and perhaps you were even naughtier than before.

Now do you know what the consequence of this will be? Why, unless you alter at once, each time you break through you will feel less sorry than the time before, until at length God will give you up to your own hardness of heart; and that is a dreadful thing, from which I pray the good Lord to deliver us.

Perhaps this comes home to some of your little hearts, and you are even now saying, "Well, I couldn't help it; I made up my mind, and I could not do more; and it wasn't my fault that I got out of temper again."

But I tell you it was your fault, and I'll tell you why. It was because, when you made your good resolutions, you did not ask God to help you to keep them; and so when the next temptation came, instead of looking up and thinking, "Now God will help me, for I asked Him,"-you gave

way, and did exactly as you did the time before, and many times before that. Your goodness was as the morning cloud, and like the early dew that passeth away.

Now very likely you will have the same temptation many more times yet; but don't give way before it again, “Be not overcome of evil." Just lift up your little heart in prayer to God, and He will help you. You need not kneel down to pray; a thought will go straight to God.

And then you must pray to God morning and night, not as a duty only, but as a pleasure, that you, "surely trusting in His defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries," "but may live a godly, sober, and righteous life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." God never fails those who seek Him and trust Him in all their troubles. Ask humbly of God to forgive your sins and your misdeeds. Pray Him to give His most Holy Spirit, that you may grow in all grace and become ready for His kingdom. Trust but in Jesus Christ, who died for you. Pray to Him for constant help; and He will help you to keep your goodness, which He gives you, to the end of your life.

E. J. K.